Scheunenviertel

Die Volksbühne.

The Scheunenviertel has had an eventful history: from slum to Jewish ghetto to devastation. Today, the Scheunenviertel is once again taking up Jewish traditions.

The Scheunenviertel (Barn Quarter) in Berlin-Mitte is the eastern part of the Spandauer Vorstadt. It is located between Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz and Hackescher Markt and got its name from the numerous barns that once stood in this area.

In 1670, the Great Elector Friedrich Wilhelm prohibited the construction of barns within the Berlin city limits. The reason for the ban was the high fire risk posed by the hay and straw stored in the barns. The barns located within the city walls were demolished and the resulting open space was built on with residential buildings. The barns were moved outside the city wall, but the name of the quarter remained. Due to the strong population growth, the houses in the Scheunenviertel quickly became cramped.

Jewish life and social hotspot

From the 18th century onwards, more and more Jews moved to the western part of the Scheunenviertel. A synagogue was built in Heidereutergasse and a Jewish cemetery was established in Große Hamburger Straße. In the following years, the Scheunenviertel and the Spandauer Vorstadt increasingly became a place of residence for the Jewish population. In the 1920s, there were repeated anti-Jewish riots. The negative climax was the Scheunenviertel pogrom in 1923.

The Scheunenviertel developed into a social hotspot and was considered dangerous by Berliners. People's lives here were characterized by poverty, prostitution and petty crime. During this time, the Mulackritze, often called the "Ritze" for short, was a popular restaurant and meeting place.

Refuge for Eastern Jews

Jews from Eastern Europe increasingly settled in the area around today's Almstadtstraße, then Grenadierstraße. They were fleeing pogroms in their home countries. The proportion of Eastern Jews here, who were often strictly orthodox, was up to 70 percent. The high Jewish population share was visible in cultural life: a lively Jewish culture flourished in the Scheunenviertel with prayer houses, Jewish stores and institutions. For many Jews, Berlin was only a stopover on the way to America. However, attempts to emigrate further to America usually failed due to lack of money. Many Jews from the Scheunenviertel did not survive National Socialism.

Many houses in the Scheunenviertel were destroyed during the Second World War. After reunification, the district, together with the Spandauer Vorstadt, developed into an exciting and culturally diverse neighborhood in Berlin. Today, nothing reminds us of the once cramped conditions in the alleyways of the Scheunenviertel.

Places of interest in the Scheunenviertel

Volksbühne

The Volksbühne on Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz is a place to go for experimental theatergoers. Built in 1915, the theater was almost completely destroyed during the Second World War. It was rebuilt in a simplified form in 1954. During the GDR era, the Volksbühne became an address for modern director's theater. Provocative plays by Heiner Müller and productions by Benno Besson and Fritz Marquardt were shown here. Under the direction of Frank Castorf from 1992 to 2017, the Volksbühne received numerous awards thanks to its many sensational productions.

Kino Babylon

The Kino Babylon (Babylon Cinema) is located in a building complex opposite the Volksbühne. Berlin's only silent film organ can be found in the auditorium of the former Lichtspieltheater Babylon, as the cinema was originally called. The listed building was constructed in 1928/1929 according to plans by architect Hans Poelzig. It is considered a prime example of New Objectivity. The Babylon was rebuilt after the war. In GDR times, it was considered a special-interest movie theater. Today, the Babylon cinema is still an arthouse cinema.

Information

• Address:
  Mulackstr. 6
  10119 Berlin
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